The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and data processing program, a data processing method, and electronic pen. The present invention specifically relates to an image forming apparatus for printing hand-written images by the use of an electronic pen, a data processing program for transforming data outputted from the electronic pen into printable data, a data processing method for printing hand-written images drawn by the use of the electronic pen, and an image forming apparatus and electronic pen and data processing program for executing processing based on the data processing method.
Recently, an electronic pen equipped with a data transmission function has been popular. For example, when an electronic pen is moved across a sheet of paper on which a specific pattern, typically the ANOTO (registered mark) pattern, has been printed, a camera built into the electronic pen reads the specific pattern, detects its position on the sheet, and transmits data (electronic pen data) that indicates the movement locus of the electronic pen to a computer device. Then, the computer device analyzes the electronic pen data by the use of an application program to identify the hand-written image, and instructs the image forming apparatus to print the hand-written image by the use of a printer driver.
A system that uses such an electronic pen is disclosed in, for example, published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-268758. The system is a printing system comprising a digital pen capable of acquiring contents written on a dedicated sheet having a predetermined pattern by regarding the contents as hand-writing information associated with the writing position based on the above pattern, and transmitting the hand-writing information to the outside, and a computer that receives the hand-writing information transmitted by the digital pen, recognizes the written contents and its writing position according to the writing information contained in the hand-writing information, and reflects the written contents in a predetermined file; and the printing system further comprising a printing output means for printing out by using the printing data based on the predetermined file and printing the specific pattern on the sheet thereby printing and outputting the sheet as the dedicated sheet.
In the method as shown in the above published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-268758, wherein electronic pen data is first analyzed by a computer device to obtain a hand-written image and then instructions to print are sent to the image forming apparatus based on the hand-written image, the hand-written image cannot be printed unless there is a computer device, which creates an inconvenient situation. In addition, operation is troublesome because a dedicated application program to analyze electronic pen data and a printer driver must be installed beforehand in each computer device.